Dual agency washer



Oct. 20, 1942. w. ROCKE 2,299,495

. mm. AGENCY nsasn Filed Sept. 1, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ky 20622 for? Fqcife Oct. 20, 1942. w ROCKS nun. AGENCY vmsnsa Filed Sept. 1, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 i 2 a 2 a 4 1 1 2 2 J I 3 I #0 x 4 5 a i p E. 1 i i 6 1 9% .l \\\\N\ I I IV \i Oct. 20, 1942. w, RQCKE 2,299,495

DUAL AGENCY WASHER Filed Sept. 1, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 f @22622/077 j/ZZdT/Z Pea/Q V sep pertinent Patented a. 20. 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE m. ri ing...

William mire, South Bend, rna. Application September 1,1939, seflll NO. 292373 (oi. es-ss) Claims.

This invention relates to domestic washing I machines and involvesthe addition of an exposed agitator washing means to my fluid agency washer as disclosed in my Patent Re. 20,424,

. chanical agency or by a combination of the two agencies,

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptionsand drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevation view of a washing machine employing my dual agency washing means;

Fig. 2 is a broken enlarged cross sectional view of the mechanism of the washer shown in P18. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fi 2 except showing an optional motor mounting and drive arrangement; I

Fig. 4 is a. broken enlarged cross sectional view of the top of the Z tator post and agitator as shown in Fig. 3 but involving an optional driving mechanism which later will be explained;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional elevational view of the mechanism similar to-that shown in Fig. 3 except showing a modification wherein the impeller pumping means is omitted, aswil later be explained: and

Pig. 6 is a broken elevation view similar to Pig. 2 except showing a modification of the impeller let in its relation to the agitator, as will later be explained.

Now referring to the drawings. and at the outset particularly to Fig.1.! show a conventional structure of a domestic washing machine whereinthetub llismountedonabasering ll supportedonlegs'il. Amechanismgearcase unit is driven bya motor it is supported on the'bsse II in a conventional manner.- Extendas is explained in detail in my Patent No. Re. 20,424, above mentioned. In the P es nt s ru ture I have mounted a revolving or oscillating agitator 22 on the agitator post ll, and-as shown in'Fig. 1, this agitator 22 is driven by the pinion 25 in the gear case it .by conventional agitator drive mechanism wherein the pinion 2| is oscillated to transmit conventional oscillatory movement of the agitator 22. Also through the gear case It I drive the rotating pump mechanism by conventional transmission means ending in the belt and pulley mechanism 10 as shown.- Thi mechanism is controlled by a clutch (not shown) in the gear case II which has the manual control means II available to the operator whereby the rotation of the pump impeller may be stopped and the washer run as a conventional agitator washing machine. In a similar manner the oscillation of the pinion II is controlled by ing lronrthe gear case it and supported by the base II is a conventional wrinler po t ll mpportingawriagerheadiiandarollwringer l'l swportedin the interior of the tub II is a hollowagitatorpostmember-ll. and surrounding thissgitator post is a perforated plate is which the tub into an upper and a fluid action or by a combination of the two wash-v ing agencies. It is appreciated in the washing machine art that washing action by'iiuid alone is much easier on clothes and, therefore, lighter and more delicate fabrics may be washed .with safety. Similarly it is recognized that the 81- tator action in domestic washing machines. although very eii'ective for heavier and dirtier garments, is somewhat severe on the lighter garments. It will, therefore, be appreciated that by the combination above set forth the operator has a choice of the two methods. and further, by the combination of the two I have provided a new'method which combines the features of the other two in a manner which gives "optimum results.

Now referring to. Fig. 2, I show an operating structure used to attain the results above described. As is clearly set forth in the drawings.

the hollow agitator post it is supported on the tub II by conventional structure which is clearly illustrated in the drawings and which does not need detailed explanation. The agitator -pinion II is flxed to thedrive shaft -24 which is mounted in conventional bearing structure II and 8.. I A

washing iowerwaterinlet o na mmtsn n dto que iveflisn nnedtothetopo! the shaft 2:! and makes splined connection withthe internal spline member 2? amxed to the 8321- tator 22 by the screw 28. f

It will be appreciated that by this structure the agitator 22 may be lifted off of the agitator'post I8 in the conventional manner.

The driven pulley of the pulleytransmission 20 is afllxed to the tube 29 rotatably mounted in the .bearing' structure 30 to drive. the pump impeller 3L. The pump impeller 3| is so formed to lift the water in the lower section of the tub III to drive it rapidly through the jets 32 in the base of the agitator post l8. The impeller 3|, being driven at high speed, ejects a horizontal circular stream of water through the jets 32 and over the perforated plate I! and up the side walls of the tub I in a circular manner which imparts to the liquid in the tub an annular radial revolving movement which has been found to be very effective in the washing of clothes. The perforations in the plate l9 are arranged to be of larger area than the capacity of the impeller 3| and, therefore, water is re-supplied to the sump and impeller 3| in a manner which does not interfere with the general radially revolving movement as above described. When clothes are inserted in the tub, they are turned and revolved in a vortex-like turbulent mass which without the action of the agitator are never touched by any mechanical means.

The additional action of the agitator 22 when used in conjunction with the fluid washing means has the efiect of permitting heavier loading of clothes in the tub andmore effective washing of heavier and dirtier garments. It has been found, however, that such agitator action combined with 7 my fluid actuating means is not as destructive to the clothes as when the agitator is used alone, and thereby I attain an optimum washing result.

In Fig. 3 I show an alternative structure to that shown in Fig. 2 wherein the motor ll drives the agitator shaft 2 directly and both the impeller 3i andthe agitator 22 are revolved by the shaft 24 at the same time and in a similar manner. Although it has been found impossibleto operate conventional agitators in this manner,

currents which by the injector principle induces currents from the sump under the perforated plate [9 whereby a different washing water action is created. It will be appreciated that'the jets 32 in relation to the base 22' of the agitator maybe changed; for instance, as shown in Fig. 6,

whereby variable water current results may be.

. attained by this variation in the jets and their relative locations which effect diiferent ejected the combination of the agitator washing means with my fluid action means makes this variation in structure possible sndgives a new result.

In Fig. 4 I show a small compact gear case unit 33 mounted on the top of a revised agitator post structure it and driven by the same drive shaft 24. This compact gear case structure 23 has conventional gearing disposed therein whereby a driven stub shaft ll is oscillated in a convencurrents.

Now referring to Fig. 6, I show a variation in the structure as outlined and explained for Fig. 2. The hollow agitator post l8 has been changed to the structure shown as'l8 wherein the jets 32 have been changed as shown at 32' to register with similar outlet jets 22" in the base 22' of the agitator. It now will be appreciated that the impeller 2| will drive currents of water through the jets 32' and 32" over the base 22" of the impeller. It will be appreciated that these jets of water being discharged over the base of the impeller will have the effect of rapidly removing and throwing from the impeller any clothing which might be lodged on the impeller vane. Inasmuch as clothes damage generally is a result of clothes lodging on the vanes and being jerked backward and forward, this revised structure has the effect of reducing clothes damage from the impeller to a still greater extent than the structure shown in Fig. 2, and thereby the combination of mechanical and liquid washing means is made still more effective.

From the above description it will be appreciated that I have combined my fluid washing means with the conventional agitator means'in. a manner which permits the housewife to use either one or the other as the need arises, and further, that by the combination of the two methods I attain new and more beneficial results not found in either the liquid or the mechanical washing methods. It is appreciated that although I have shown certain variations in structure that other variations are possible and even contemplated. However, I do not wish to be constrained or limited to the structure shown except as such limitations are imposed by my claims.

I claim:

1. In a fabric washing machine the combination of a tub, said tub being divided into a washing compartment and a sump by a perforate partition, a hollow agitator post mounted centrally within the tub having a water intake opening tional manner. As shown in Fig. 4, I attach the stub shaft 24 to-the stem of the agitator 22 by means of the Woodruif key 25 and the round head can screw it. By this structure I provide means whereby the drive shaft 24 driving the m peller I! is capable of transmitting oscillatory movement to the agitator 22. I In Fig. 5, I show still another optional arrangement quite similar to thatshown in Fig. 3, but wherein the impeller II is omitted. By this arrangement I. drive the agitator 22 either in a continuous rotating manner by the structure as shown or in an oscillatory manner with a gear case, as shown in Fig. 4. It will be appreciated that' the agitator 22 is actualLv an exposed pump vane structure and that the vanes on this agitator will act as a pump. Positioned as it is over the perforated plate I! and adjacent to the jets 22, the operation of this agitator results in water orifice leading into. the washing compartment above and adjacent tothe perforate partition, an agitator mounted on the post above the circular discharge. orifice, an impeller pump mounted within the tub below the partition having a water intake connected with the sump and a discharge through the agitator post orifice, means to drive the pump at high rotational speed, and gear mechanism to oscillate the agitator, whereby dual mechanical and fluid washing means is provided.

2. In a fabric washing machine the combination of a tub, said tub'being divided into a washing compartment and a sump by a perforate partition. a hollow agitator post mounted centrally within the tub having a water intake opening connected with the sump and a circular discharge orifice directed into the washing compartment above and adjacent to the perforate partition, an agitator having vertical blades mounted on the'post above the circular discharge orifice, and

an impeller pump mounted within the tub below the partition, concentricwith the agitator post and having a water intake connected with the sump and a dischargethrough the agitator-post orifice.

3. In a fabric washing machine the combine tion of a tub, said tub being divided into a washing compartment and a sump by a perforate partition, a hollow agitator post mounted centrally within the tub havinga water intake opening connected with the sump and a circular discharge orifice leading into the washing compartment eluding a hollow agitator post mounted on the housing, a vaned agitator mounted on the post,

. a circular pump discharge orifice through the agitator post above the partitiom means to drive above and adjacent to the perforate partition,

an impeller pumpmounted within the tub below the partition having a water intake connected with the sump and a discharge through the agitator post orifice, an agitatormounted on the post having a base covering the circular discharge orifice, holes in said base contiguous to the orifice permitting discharge of water-currents from the pump over the base, means to drive the pump at high rotational speed, ,and gear mechanism to oscillate the agitator, whereby dual mechanical and fluid washing means is provided.

4. In a fabric washing-machine the combination of a tub, said tub being divided into a washing compartment and a sump by a perforate partition, an impeller 'pump including a housin 7 mounted centrally in the bottom of the tub below the partition, means to removably support the perforate partition from the pump housing in the pump at high rotational speed, and gear mechanism to oscillate the. agitator, whereby dual mechanical and fluid washing means is provided.

5. In a fabric washing machine the combination of a tub, said tub being divided into awashing compartment and a sump by a perforate partition, a hollow agitator 'post mounted centrally within the tub having a waterintake opening connected with the sump and a circular discharge orifice. leading into the washing compartment above and adjacent to the perforate partition, an impeller pump mounted within the tub below the partition having a water intake connectedv with the sump and a discharge through the agitator post orifice, anagitator mounted on the post having vanes extending beyond the discharge oriflce'in the area traversed bywater currents from the pump, means to drive the pump at high rotational speed, a'gear mechanism to oscillate the agitator whereby dual mechanical and fluid washing means is provided with the water currents from the pump discharged over the vanes of the agitator to prevent the clothes sticking on the vanes withconsequent damage to the clothes,

WILLIAM ROCKE, 

